70 



THE AMERICAN MOOSE 



pack which might be following his track by the 

 sense of smell. But man, cleverer than the moose, 

 and more formidable than the wolf, thanks to his 

 rifle, knows the devices to which the moose will 

 resort — and governs himself accordingly. ''Of 

 all quadrupeds deer are the greatest fools, " writes 

 Hornaday." In his foolishness in many cases 

 lies the safety of the whitetail, for no hunter 

 knows what to expect him to do. 



The moose's heaviness and lack of grace have 

 sometimes given him the reputation of being 

 stupid. But the moose belongs to one of the 

 oldest families in the animal kingdom, and it is by 

 intelligence rather than by stupidity that the 

 family has been able to survive the changes of 

 climate, the attacks of predatory animals, and all 

 the other vicissitudes of the countless ages since 

 the moose first appeared on the continent. 



If a moose, suddenly confronted by a man with 

 a rifle, stands for a few seconds to look toward 

 the source of danger, it is not because of lack of 

 intelligence. He seeks as best he can to ascertain 

 the nature of the peril — if indeed there is cause for 

 fear. His brief halt is to give time for his senses — 

 of smell, of hearing, and of sight — to furnish him 

 with a reason for adopting some particular course 



American Natural History, vol. i., p. xxviii. 



